Applications are invited for a part-time Clinical or Counselling Psychologist post in specialist perinatal Thumbswood Mother and Baby Inpatient Unit (MBU). Thumbswood MBU is a specialist 6-bed inpatient unit providing support for families from Hertfordshire and out-of-area who are experiencing a serious mental health difficulty during pregnancy or in the postnatal period.
The post-holder will have varied responsibilities; offering psychological assessments, the delivery of individual and group evidence-based psychological interventions in order to support the mother-infant relationship, offering supervision and reflective practice to a range of junior psychology colleagues and the wider MDT, service development and audit, teaching and training to MDT and healthcare colleagues as well as liaison and consultation.
The successful applicant will receive regular supervision from the Principal Perinatal Clinical Psychologist and be an integrated member of MDTs; attending team meetings and perinatal-specific training sessions as well as liaising with team members and healthcare professionals throughout Hertfordshire. The team has close links with the University of Hertfordshire and its clinical psychology training course.
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. E verything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Job Summary:
To contribute to the ongoing development of a highly specialised perinatal psychology service for women who are pregnant, or up to 2 years postnatal, with, or at risk of, a wide range of mental health problems including complex and severe difficulties, such as Complex Trauma, Postpartum Psychosis, Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder and Bipolar Disorder.
To aid in the assessment, formulation and care planning of women in the perinatal period, as well as the mother-infant dyad and to provide and evaluate a range of high-quality, evidence-based perinatal-specific psychological interventions; individual and group, for service users and families. Experience across a range of therapeutic models is essential including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and other models such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, EMDR, Systemic Therapy and Mindfulness.
To be responsible for offering liaison and consultation to members of the multi-disciplinary team, liaising with colleagues within the inpatient mother and baby unit, the community psychology and psychotherapy service, local maternity services, as well as non-professional carers and other agencies on matters related to the psychological needs and issues relevant to the service and its users
To offer high-quality clinical and professional supervision to junior psychology colleagues and trainee clinical/counselling psychologists
To utilise research skills for audit, policy, and service development and research within the service
To work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of team policies and procedures
The post holder will need to be HCPC registered.
Key Relationships:
Liaises with:
CPT Principal Perinatal Clinical Psychologist (supervisor)
Inpatient mother and baby unit team
CPT Therapies Colleagues
CPT Service Manager and Team Leaders
CPT Consultant Psychiatrist
ACMHS Lead Psychologist
Junior Doctors
Social Workers
CPNs
OTs
Local maternity services
Managers and Clinical Staff
Other Psychological Services staff within HPFT
Please see JD/PS for more details
